Smog and importation into California of a 400i

W/897 mi. on the clock @ import (10/84), my test results (#46009) filed w/EPA for HC, CO, NOx,& Evap. were .39. 1.55, .74, & 1.49 respectively. Max limits set by EPA @ the time were .41, 3.40, 1.00, 2.00. Don't know what the BAR limits are, I would imagine you can always lean the FI versions out to bring it w/in standards, but going too far on the lean will shoot the NOx #'s off the charts in a quick way.
I'm curious as to how the ideal stoichiometric ratio (lambda=1 / 14.7 air/fuel ratio) measures up to the BAR requirements in Ca.?

 

You are correct on the 1974 rule. Any car 1974 or older is exempt. It is now fixed, it will not change or advance in the future. 1975 and newer must meet period criteria.

 

Close, but not quite. 1975 is the cut-off for no smog. 1976 and later have to pass smog.

 

Correct, '75 and earlier exempt, '76 and later must comply, dates fixed.

 

Now you understand why I was only in CA for 2 years and would not return even under threat of death. As for the temps I see your in San Francisco, I was in Monterey, simaliar weather, too cold all the time. I remember San Francisco Times headline in 1990 " Heat Wave 70 degrees and no relief in sight" I thought it had finally barely got warm enough for human habitation. So Enjoy!

Larry

 

Filtered air is pulled from the intake stream, and through a system of check valves is injected into the exhaust headers. The purpose is to dilute emissions when the vehicle is first started until it warms up.

Not much leeway left to mod a car in California.

 

All I can say is good luck, I have lived in California all my life and owned a number of cars that were special makes and imports. It is the biggest pain in the butt to get these to pass, and you have to go through the whole stupid process every two years. Just when you get it all dialed in with one smog guy they close shop or move and you have to start all over.

I now run everything pre 1976

My next battle with the BAR is my fleet of Diesel trucks. All Diesel trucks over 14000 GVR will have to be converted over to a catalytic converter or some fancy smog system starting in 2012. All trucks coming into the state will be required to meet these standards.


Yes the weather is nice.

 

Which is frickin' STUPID.

 

Actually the air is injected to help "kick start" the catalytic converters by introducing extra oxygen to the necessarily rich cold engine mixture.

I would also add that in my experience, the guys (and girls) who work certifying cars with BAR are very knowledgeable and are almost certainly secret gearheads. I know a LOT about cars, and these guys, including a female who certified one of my engine swaps, have been very, very sharp, including how to get around certain rules. (such as legally swapping which JDM twin cam motors into what year Honda because of being legally grandfathered in with a certain engine family)


jay

oh and by the way she wasn't hot. Smart, but not hot.

 

Florida will be happy to have you (or at least your car). Many people vacation in Florida for a few months in the winter and have cars here. You will need a real address, but if you have a friend anywhere in Florida it should not be a problem. You shouldn't even need a Florida DL. You will have to bring the car to Florida once to be visualy inspected by a clerk at one of the tax collector offices (just to verify the VIN) to register it. Should cost less than $200 if your existing registration shows you have owned the car for more than 6 months. The annual registration is less than $50. That's it, no inspections nada! Oh . . . and check the S Florida weather on that map.

 

Know folks with Nevada vacation / ski home. This didn't work well for them. The cops look for out of state plates and pull you over on a whim. CA "needs" the money.

ALSO

The lab doesn't conclude their business with you by sending you to ref after paying the 3500 with a list. If they give you a list after their testing. You get to install what they suggest or whatever else you can devise to pass the Labs requirements, and pay the 3500 again for another test (No limit on how many times you repeat this cycle). Only after you satisfy the lab - you can take the noted paperwork stating what eqip was present to make car clean, and ref will test car again and give you a BAR sticker.

The biggest challenge I see now is the equipment is drying up in a big way. The VW's etc that used to use these bits are no longer around. The atermarket company that makes lambda control equip is gone.

Pull out your Ferrari V12 and put in PRIUS running gear

 

What equip on what model gave you these numbers? Is this a BBi? WHat are the units? Are these #s grams / mile? Which has no trivial relationship with % and PPM - the way your local smog shop will test.

 

With what equip, and brand / make of cats did you achieve these numbers? Congratulations!

 

Also, Did you get these numbers at the Napa lab?

 

What a nightmare. Red tape like this is ridiculous. Any chance of "flexible" inspectors?
I'd register out of state. Is there some law in California that prohibits folks from owning property elsewhere?

All the fuel my car has consumed in my many years of ownership if set alight in a barrel would probably emit less than some of the hulking vehicles on the road. Isn't there some provision for race, show or antique vehicles that are seldom used?
Forgive me for presuming common sense among bureaucrats.

 

Hey California has shown us all what a successful state they have been. Look at how many people are leaving and the debt they have accumulated. Great job CA!

 

I hear you. Way too loud and clear! I've been going through this crap for over a year. My car easily passed three of the IM 240 tests given at the present CA dyno test shops, but the C.A.R.B. lab standards are a higher goal to achieve. The tests performed were just checks, and the specs were probably from a 308. I've burned through a tank plus setting up a car for the test when that same car may not consume a tank in a year. From what I've learned - "flexible inspectors" NO! and cars that are 25 yrs or older are eligible for historical vehicle plates, but that does NOT stop the smog requirements. I intend to keep on fighting. I've worked hard my whole life with the dream of getting one of these cars, and I'm not walking away from it. I hope you are victorious wading through the bureaucracy.

 

It seems to me that the CARB tests(they need a new acronym)are geared towards manufacturers having designs on importing thousands of such examples with no consideration for the idea that a car being tested will be the only or near only example of it's kind. With that as a foundation perhaps the modifications given to one particular car to pass could be established as a standard modification that once applied would exempt the rest from testing. Again I assume common sense.
My 400i is for sale once I get off my ass and do something to market it. I made mention here a while back and had an inquiry from a California gent who seemed to be interested but I had to tell him to forget getting it past your emission tests.
Unless buyers are willing to be creative or spend well in excess of what is reasonable I don't see many 400s ever being sold to California residents from out of state.
Unless one is on a first name basis with the local gendarmerie for the wrong reasons it would seem easiest to register out of state. Put on Illinois tags and a rust decal, no one will bother you.

Edit: Perhaps Jay Leno will run for office when the Governator has had enough.

 

I hope they don't take their California why of life/thinking with them when they leave.

 

"What a nightmare. Red tape like this is ridiculous. Any chance of "flexible" inspectors?
I'd register out of state. Is there some law in California that prohibits folks from owning property elsewhere?"
There are a few regulations, but If you own property in Nevada you can register your car there, and Insure it as well....

 

My first hand experience with bringing a brand new Mercedes into Marina Del Rey, Ca. goes like this. I bought a new MB in Florida and drove it to my home in M.D.R. I Drove it for six months without incident. Then one day at the supermarket when I return to my car in the parking lot, I find a ticket on the windscreen...I appears that a Cadet C.H.P. kid patrolling the area for several weeks noticed the Florida plate(tags) and ran the regist . It turns out that any Calif. resident that drives his "out of state vehicle"into Calif. is IMMEDIATELY liable for licensing the car the second that the front bumper crosses the Calif. state line. The upshot of this is that I paid $2K in fines and paid almost double the normal license fee and smog fees...AAA can't help us on these matters. Also, the longer the time you think your getting away without registering,and unsmogged to boot, the higher the penalties. However, if you are in this country illegally, you can probably get a total pass on this matter. Besides that, think of the grief that is involved in just smogging our 400i's. I've kept mine in Florida for 12 years for just this reason. I hope that this info is of some use. I can hardly wait to hear... the diatribe refuting this.

 

Adding to illegals getting a pass on the above listed issue are the insurance carriers which insure any and all drivers. Most auto insurers who sell policies in California will insure an illegal alien if they do not have a drivers license. This creates a huge question for auto insurers who state they are in the business of assessing risk according to ones' previous driving history. If you or I lose our drivers license for any reason, our California auto insurance policy can and most likely will be cancelled because of not being a licensed driver, yet it's perfectly fine for someone to not be licensed or be a US citizen paying taxes to be insured. Lovely state.

 

This is a common effect seen by those with vacation homes in Nevada. Supposedly - - IF you own the car and live out of state for some time (1 year or whatever?), then you move to this great state with your "49 state" car, you can go straight to the ref for a BAR label. This is really crummy! I was told by DMV ,"take it to a smog station for a test". I said, "a special station like a referee or Test-Only", DMV said, "no, any smog station". I just love the accurate info!